Electric heater or rheostat.



No. 759,722. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904 w- M. G. KRUEGER.

ELECTRIC HEATER OR RHEOSTAT. APPLICATION FILED 00136, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MAX O. KRUEGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE MAGNETO ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF AMSTERDAM, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ELECTRIC HEATER OR RHEOSTAT.

sPEoIFIoATIoN forming part of Letters Application filed October 6, 1902. I

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX O. KRUEGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Oook'and State of Illinois,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Heaters or Rheostats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric heaters and rheostats.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction of electric heater and rheostat which is simple, economical, and eflicient.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location, and arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and to the various views and reference-signs appearing thereon, Figure 1 is a View in central longitudinal section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2 and showing a construction of electric heater and rheostat embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l'looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a detached detail view in perspective, showing a resistance-plate and the arrangement of conducting and insulating strips at the ends thereof. Fig. Ais aview in side elevation and showing means for insuring separation of the resistanceplates. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

The same part is designated by the same reference-sign wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention I's'uitably mount upon an insulating plate or base-resistance strips or plates superposed the one upon the other and suitably clamped together, with conducting-strips and insulating-strips alternately arranged between adjacent ends of said strips to form a continuous circuit through all the resistance-plates, together with suitable binding projections, so that any desired number of the plates may be cut out of cir- Patent No. 759,722, dated May 10, 1904.

Serial No. 126,039. (No model.)

cuit. This, in brief, is a general statement of the manner of carrying my invention into practical operation.

In the drawings, reference-sign A designates the insulating'base,and B the resistanceplates. These plates are in the form of strips and may be of any suitable or desired length and of any suitable material. I have found tin to be efficient for this purpose and to well answer the purpose,and being cheap and easily manipulated its use greatly reduces the cost of construction of the heater or rheostat. The desired number of resistance plates or strips to be incorporated in a heater or rheostat being produced, said strips or plates are assembled by superposing the same the one upon the other. In superposing these strips or plates upon each other an insulating plate or strip O and a conducting strip or plate D are placed between each end of each strip and the next adjacent resistance strip or plate above and below the same, respectively. For instance, an insulating plate or strip O is located between one end of a resistance strip or plate and the adjacent end of v the next resistance strip or plate lying beneath it, while at the opposite ends of said resistance strips or plates a conductingdate D is interposed. The reverse of this arrangement is observed on the upper side of said resistance plate or strip, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thus building up the heater or rheostat by a succession of resistance'fplates or strips, each strip or plate beingfinsulated at one end from the next" adjacent strip or plate on one side theren'du'c'tively connected at its oppov o" the next adjacent resistance strip or plate "lying on the opposite side thereof. The lowermost resistance strip or plate of the series is arranged to rest upon a block or other support E upon thebase-plate A,' and similarly a' clamping-block F is arranged to bearagainst the upper side or face of the uppermost resistance strip'or plate. All the parts maybe securely and rigidly clamped together in any convenient manner-as, for instance, by means of suitably-insulated rods G, passing through the parts and the baseplate, and set-nuts H, turned up upon the threaded ends of said rods.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that 1 provide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive construction of electric heater and rheostat in which the parts may be readily and quickly assembled in proper relation.

If desired, and as shown, the clamping-rods G may pass through holes formed in the ends of the resistance strips or plates and of the insulating and conducting separating strips or plates, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

If desired, and in order to secure strength and rigidity, and preferably, the resistance strips or plates are channeled or bent into substantially V or other desirable shape in cross-section, as clearly shown in the drawings. In this event the supporting-blocks E and the clamping-blocks F, as well as the separating, insulating, and conducting strips or plates 0 D, are similarly shaped. This V-shaped or grooved construction of resistance-plate affords strength and'rigidity to the entire construction and serves to prevent the same from buckling or bending during expansion and contraction thereof, which in devices of this nature has been a source of considerable trouble and difficulty.

If desired, and in order to insure separation of the resistance-plates throughout their entire length, an insulating-strip J may be interposed between the resistance strips or plates B at one or as many points as may be necessary, this strip being passed back and forth in alternate directions-between adjacent resistance strips or plates, as will be clearly understood from the drawings.

If desired, conducting projections K may be interposed at proper intervals for the purpose of affording means for connection of leading-wires and through which any desired number of resistance strips or plates may be included in operating-circuit.

An electric heater or rheostat embodying the principles of my invention is assembled and built up as follows A plate or strip D is placed with its ends resting upon supportingblocks E. An insulating and separating plate 0 is then placed upon said resistance plate or strip at one end, and a conducting strip or plateD is placed upon the other end. Then the next resistance strip or plate is placed in position with its ends resting on said insulating and conducting strips or plates D. A conducting strip or plate 1) is then placed over the end of said second strip or plate which rests upon the insulating strip or plate, and an insulating strip or plate is placed over that end of said resistance plate or strip which rests upon the conducting and separating strip or plate, and so on until the desired number of resistance strips or plates are assembled. The parts are then firmly and securely clamped together and the leadingwires attached, as described, and the device is ready for use. If additional separation of the resistance strips or plates is necessary, an insulating-strip J is interposed, as described, at one or any desired number of points between the ends of said strips, said insulating-strip being passed back and forth between adjacent resistance-strips.

It will be seen that in a rheostat or heater constructed as described ample space is provided between adjacent resistance-strips for ventilation.

I desire it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited or restricted to the exact details of construction and arrangement shown and described, as many changes and Variations in the details thereof would readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art and still fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and a construction embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric heater or rheostat comprising a series of longitudinally-bent sheet-metal resistance-plates superposed upon each other, separating plates interposed between adjacent ends of said strips, said separating-plates being alternately of resistance and conducting material and bent to correspond with said resistance-plates, and means for clamping said parts together, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An electric heater or rheostat comprising a series of channeled or grooved resistance strips or plates superposed upon each other and alternately insulated and electrically connected together at the respective ends thereof, and means for clamping said parts together, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. An electric heater or rheostat, comprising a series of resistance-plates V-shaped in crossscction and superposed in nested relation upon each other, and insulating and conducting strips or plates interposed between adjacent ends of said resistance strips or plates and arranged to form a continuous circuit back and forth from one strip to another, and means for clamping all of said parts together, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. An electric heater orrheostat comprising a series of longitudinally-bent sheet-metal resistance-plates superposed upon each other, separating-plates interposed between adjacent ends of said strips, said separatingdates being alternately of insulating and conducting material and bent to correspond with said resistance-plates, and conductingprojections for attachment of leading-wires, all combined and arranged, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an electric heater or rheostat, an insulating base-plate, supporting-blocks mounted thereon, longitudinally bent resistance strips or plates superposed upon each other and supported upon said blocks, separatingplates for the ends of said resistance strips or plates,said separating-plates being alternately of insulating and conducting material and bent to correspond With said resistance-plates, clamping-blocks superposed upon the ends of the uppermost resistance-plate, and clampingscreWs for clamping all of said parts together, all combined and arranged, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an electric heater or rheostat, the combination with an insulating base-plate, supporting-blocks mounted thereon, resistance strips or plates superposed upon each other and resting at their ends upon said blocks, separating-plates interposed between adjacent ends of said resistance strips or plates, said separating-plates being respectively of insulating and conducting material, clampingblocks superposed upon the ends of the uppermost of said resistance strips or plates, securing-bolts passing through all of said parts,

MAX (J. KRUEGER.

Witnesses:

C. H. SEEM, S. E. DARBY. 

